Customer Reviews

Return to Midway

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This was an excellent overview of both the battle and the expedition to find the 5 carriers. Well illustrated. The only thing I would like to have seen more of was the details of the Yorktown wreck. Only a few photos of the wreck are included, although the text mentions that they took hundreds of detailed photos. Get the companion video, too!

This book falls into the same grade as Dr. Ballards other excellent books such as on the Titanic and the Bismark.

To most WWII Navy History buffs, the story of Midway is both great and a little over told. The dumb fact is America won the battle because the IJNS Cruiser Tone couldn't launch a recon aircraft. I don't think the American dumb luck factor was stressed enough in the book. However, luck makes a huge amount of difference in war. Right now the CSA would be alive and well had General Robert E. Lee had not made an extra copy of his orders of attack prior to the Battle of Antitiam.

I can't fault the fantastic pictures of the USS Yorktown. The book is worth the price of that alone. Seeing the 1.1 inch machine guns pointing skyward is like seeing a moment frozen in time. There are few things like this in American history.

The cold fact is Midway was THAT important of a battle. Had the three American carriers been sunk then the USA could not have gone on the offensive until 1944 or later.

The stories of veterans of the battle were quite insightful. However, you can't get over this weird feeling that both groups of veterans still really don't like one another over the war. Strange, old hatred dies hard.

I look forward to Dr. Ballard getting funding from Japan to find the Japanise carriers. If the Akagi or any of her sister ships are in this good condition then we could look forward to a small salvage operation being done to raise a small part of the ship in the future.

Now, all readers should know that National Geographic ran a shorter version of this book in just the last year. You can read it for free if you just go to your local library.

This is a great coffee table book and would make a great history present to any Navy buff.

Most of Ballard's books are large, well illustrated, and to the point. This one however spends most of the page count on his thoughts about the veterans aboard Ballard's research vessel, the battle itself, and WW2. I wouldn't mind reading about his thoughts in another book as he is usually very insightful but it wasn't what I bought this particular book for.

After Ballard's commentaries and the history sections we see only very little relating to the Yorktown and underwater archeology which is rather disappointing.

The above reviews address the factual and textual quality of the book. While these are fine, I wish to draw attention to those who may be hoping for a similar quality of book to Bob Ballard's previous works. Alas, a quick flick through the book reveals a significant lack of photographic and illustrative imagery, certainly bare bones stuff to other excellent works such as Lusitania, Bismarck etc...
What this has to do with National Geographic as publisher I don't know, but I was a little disappointed over all.

Bob Ballard again uses his expertise and access to cutting-edge technology to explore an underwater historical treasure. There are few moments in the 20th Century as critical as the Battle of Midway, yet prior to this expedition little or no attention has been paid to the lasting physical artifacts of that battle scattered on the sea floor. As always seems to be the case with Ballard's expeditions, the only regret is that he was not able to search the area longer and find more of the carriers ... but hopefully there's another expedition in the works!

This book is a very good read and is written exceptionally well. The historical information on the Battle of Midway is very easy to read, interesting and thought provocative. The author attempts, and succeeds, to involve the reader in the actual battle by introducing personal accounts from a number of American and Japanese veterans. The images within the book are very impressive and the artwork is very detailed and realistic. The discovery of the Yorktown is written concisely and the technical information is well described, yet not out of the understanding of any educated person. The only down side of the book is the poor renditions of tactical maps and lack of photographs of the actual Yorktown as it is today, despite the author noting that hundreds of images were taken. Well worth the effort to read this book.

Dr Robert D. Ballard seems not to know when to stop - and why should he? We who admire his work and, of course, his books, are much the richer through his sharing of his many adventures with us.

Just as soon as I took delivery of "Return to Midway" I was aware I was a holding a 5 Star Book and there was nothing contained within it's 190 pages to make me take away any of those stars. On the contrary, I could so easily have added stars for the factual detail, the readable style of writing, the photography and undoubtedly the artwork. But, in the same way as 5 stars are the most that can be awarded to either a military Generals or an hotel, so 5 stars are the most I could possibly allot to this particular book - and each one is thoroughly well deserved.

As the name suggests, this book is about the author's return to Midway - the scene of one of the fiercest naval battles of WW2. In what has become his customary style, Dr Ballard skilfully takes the reader through his own journey towards his eventual goal whilst giving an accurate account of the Battle of Midway itself. In so doing, he treats us to historic facts, memories from some of those who were there (Americans and Japanese), documents, maps, historic photographs and his own photography which are all combined to produce a story which is as complete as it should be.

The greatest loss on the US side during the battle was the 19,900 ton Aircraft Carrier USS Yorktown - and Ballard's discovery of this wreck almost 3 miles down on the seabed is as great a discovery as either the Titanic or the Bismarck.

Having found this famous and yet elusive ship so deep, the author has again skilfully put together the most complete account of his search, discovery and final success. The various underwater photographs of the ship are then cleverly matched with a description of what the reader is looking at coupled with a photograph of that particular view from when the ship was afloat.

As I have said before when reviewing this man's work; As I know from researching and writing about lesser ships, he really has done the most thorough job of work on all fronts.

Once again, the book's front cover shows the artwork of Ken Marschall. From thousands of photographic images taken far below the surface, montage after montage of the various sections and profiles of the USS Yorktown were created so that Mr Marschall was able to provide us with a number of paintings which are every bit as accurate as a colour photograph.

I congratulate Dr Ballard on yet another excellent and professional job of work. Once again he has succeeded where others only dream.

NM

In June, 1942, the Japanese and American navies clashed near a small island in the central Pacific; Midway. This battle turned out to be the turning point of the war for both sides. For the Americans, they finally managed to stop the Japanese advance, while the Japanese suffered a crushing defeat and were put on the defensive, never to regain the offensive again. One of the ships sunk in this momentous battle was the American aircraft carrier Yorktown. This ship, the "fighting lady" as she was known to her crew, became the objective of undersea explorer Robert Ballard.

Ballard, who discovered the Titanic, Bismarck, and the lost fleet of Guadalcanal, journeyed to Midway to locate the sunken Yorktown. What he managed to find was a ship in almost pristine condition. The excellent photographs and drawings of the Yorktown contained in the book bring her back to life. Resting in several thousand feet of water, the Yorktown looks in remarkably good condition. The torpedo holes on her side are visible, but the flight deck and island are in very good condition. Also included in the expedition were several Japanese survivors of the battle. Ballard had hoped to locate the four Japanese carriers sunk during the battle, but he unfortunately could not locate them.

The book also describes in great detail the battle itself, and there are many actual photos from the battle contained in the book as well. I have the video of the expedition entitled The Battle For Midway, and this book makes a fine companion to the video. I highly recommend both the video and the book. They do an excellent job describing one of the most important battles of the 20th century as well as bringing a "fighting lady" back to life.

In June 1942, off the coast of midway island, a badly outnumbered american carrier force utterly destroyed a larger japanese force. The cost was Japan: Four carriers and a crusier. The american loss was the carrier yorktown and a destroyer. The japaneses never launched an offensive again. In May 1998, Dr. Robert Ballard, the man who has explored the wrecks of the Titanic, Bismarck, Lusitania, Britannic and ships lost in Iron Bottom Sound off Guadalcanal, discovered the U.S.S Yorktown after a long, grueling expedition. Filled with photos and illustrations from both the battle and the expedition, Bob Ballard has done it again.

WONDERFUL PHOTOGRAPHY. I HAD LUNCH ON THIS SHIP WHEN I WAS A TODDLER. GHOSTLY TO SEE IT AGAIN